Ramadan Media Preview & CSR Event at Fraser Place Puteri Harbour

The holy month of Ramadan is a time for reflection, prayer, and community. It is also a time for families and friends to gather and break their fast with delicious food. In preparation for the month of Ramadan, Fraser Place Puteri Harbour hosted a media preview and CSR event at Swatches to showcase their Ramadan buffet.

Attendees were treated to a taste of the food that will be available at Fraser Place Puteri Harbour’s Ramadan buffet. The menu featured popular Malay dishes such as Sate Ayam & Daging, Pucuk Paku Gulai Keledek, Ketupat & Lemang, as well as Kambing & Ayam Golek. The dishes were delicious and reflected the flavors of traditional Malay cuisine. Malaysians’ favourite fruit, Durian, was also available!

In addition to showcasing their menu, Fraser Place Puteri Harbour also organized a CSR event during the media preview. While we won’t go into detail about the CSR initiative, it was heartening to see a hotel take a proactive approach to giving back to the community.

The event was held at Swatches, which is located on the ground floor of Fraser Place Puteri Harbour. The restaurant’s cozy atmosphere provided a comfortable setting for attendees to mingle and network while enjoying the food.

Overall, the Ramadan Buffet Media Preview & CSR Event at Fraser Place Puteri Harbour was a success. The hotel’s commitment to providing delicious food and giving back to the community was evident throughout the event. We look forward to seeing what else Fraser Place Puteri Harbour has in store for Ramadan.

Normal price for the buffet is RM158 per adult, and RM88 per 6-12 years old child / senior citizen from 60 years and above (subject to 6% SST).

For reservation, kindly call +6075308837 or WhatsApp to +60137786821

Our Family Hiking Experience at Bukit Besi

We recently went on a hiking trip with our preschooler to Bukit Besi, and it was an incredible experience that we will cherish forever. Though we did not hike until the summit, it was still an amazing adventure that we thoroughly enjoyed.

The trail starts with an uphill walk via the paved road

Using the AllTrails app to navigate, we set out on our hike with our little one, eager to explore the beautiful surroundings. Initially, we were unable to find the trail using Komoot app, so we were grateful to have the AllTrails app to guide us.

Once you reach here, turn left to the forest trail!

As we made our way through the lush green forests, we were constantly amazed by the stunning scenery that surrounded us. Our son was thrilled to be outdoors and kept pointing out various plants, animals and insects that he saw along the way.

The trail was nice ❤️
Every forest looks unique to us
Hiking with a clear sky 🌌

Though we did not hike until the summit, we found several viewpoints that offered breathtaking views of the city. The vistas were simply breathtaking, and we took several breaks to sit and admire the scenery.

One of the things that we appreciated most about the hike was the fact that it was not too challenging for our little one. While there were some parts that require using rope due to many rocks and the top part of the hike seemed to be a bit too challenging for preschoolers, there were still plenty of areas that were perfect for families with young children. However, do bear in mind that our preschooler has went for hiking since he was 2.5 years old, so I wouldn’t say it is a good place to bring if your little one is a beginner, but a good one if she already has some experience.

Pure happiness 🥰

Overall, we had an incredible experience hiking at Bukit Besi with our preschooler. The trail was easy to follow with the help of the AllTrails app, and the scenery was absolutely stunning. We highly recommend this hiking trail to anyone looking for a fun and family-friendly outdoor adventure.

A Fun and Educational Trip to Petrosains with Our Preschooler

We recently took a trip to Petrosains with our preschooler and had a blast! The interactive exhibits and activities made for a fun and educational experience for both our son and us.

One of our favorite exhibits was the Energy Capsule, which took us on a virtual journey through the various forms of energy and how they power our world. We were able to ride the capsule and watch the informative video presentation and throughout our ride.

Another exhibit we enjoyed was the Origami Apprentice, where we got to try our hand at creating origami shapes. There were no assisting staff, but we had fun experimenting with the paper and creating our own designs.

The Wind Table was also a highlight, with a wind machine that flew papers in the shape of cones. It was amazing to see the papers take flight and our son was thrilled to see the wind in action.

Finally, we were transported back in time with the Geotime Diorama exhibit, which showcased the geological history of Malaysia. The exhibit was informative and visually stunning, with lifelike displays of ancient creatures and landscapes.

Overall, our trip to Petrosains was a wonderful family experience. We highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and educational day out with their children.

Hotel Review: Hotel Casuarina @ Meru, Ipoh

We recently had the pleasure of staying at the Hotel Casuarina in Meru Raya. The hotel is located in a quiet and serene area, away from the hustle and bustle of the city center, making it the perfect getaway for families looking for a peaceful retreat.

The happiest person throughout the trip 😄

The rooms at the hotel are spacious and well-appointed, with comfortable beds and all the amenities a family could need. The staff are friendly and welcoming, and always ready to assist with any requests or queries.

Our preschooler’s favourite place is still the window 😅
Lots of space!
Comfy bathroom
The shower area

The hotel also has a restaurant serving delicious local and international cuisine.

Enjoying his pasta 🍝
The beverage counter
Live show area

One of the standout features of the hotel is its mini library, which is a treasure trove of books for all ages. As a book lover herself, Shafa was thrilled to see such a well-curated selection of books. The cozy seating areas make it the perfect spot to curl up with a good book and spend a lazy afternoon. We appreciated the effort put into creating a space that promotes reading and education, and we can imagine families with children would also enjoy spending time in the library together.

Somebody’s excited seeing the Mini Library 📚
And… he immediately indulged in books 👨‍🏫

Overall, we would highly recommend Hotel Casuarina to families looking for a comfortable and relaxing stay in Meru Raya. With its mini library, friendly staff, and great amenities, it’s the perfect place to unwind and recharge away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

And a great place for bonding time!

Penang Hill Day Trip With Family

It’s been ages since we last updated this blog. Shafa has been busy juggling her freelancing jobs and homeschooling our son, so there’s very little spare time in between. Nevertheless, we are doing our best to update the blog everytime we have the chance to.

As you can read in our previous post, we had a chance to visit Penang some time ago and stayed in Tune Hotel Penang. While we’re there, we used most of our time to explore Penang as a family of five, which includes a toddler and an elderly. It was tough, but we managed!

One of the many experiences we had was visiting the Penang Hill (also known as Bukit Bendera) and riding the Penang Hill Funicular Train. The nearest parking was full, but worry not, there are friendly locals nearby that will happily assist you to park (with fee, of course). And they will even show you the shortcut to get to the train station! It took quite a few minutes walk to the station from where we parked, and the walk was steep. We had to ask Shafa’s mom every few minutes whether she’s OK (because she’s 70), while at the same time chasing our toddler who was busy exploring.

We were really excited to get on the train. As we’re boarded the train and finally departed, we were surrounded by a lot of greens. Nature at its best! A bit of information, the Penang Hill Funicular Railway has the steepest tunnel track in the world. Plus, it is also the longest track in Asia. Very interesting, indeed!

There are a lot of attractions at Penang Hill, but our favourite is especially the nature. We will write about our visit to The Habitat in our next post (more commitments), but aside from The Habitat, there are also Nature Walks, Monkey Cup Garden and many more. So much fun! Sorry for lack of picture in this post, as we were busy with our little explorer.

So, next time when you visit Penang, don’t forget to visit Penang Hill and ride the funicular train. Make sure to book the Fast Lane (like us) for a super convenient trip, with little or no queue needed!

Note: The visit was before the COVID-19 virus takes in. As parents of a toddler who are also living with an elderly, we do advise you to adhere to the government rules and guidelines by the Health Ministry. As a travel advocate, we definitely will help you to dream and plan for your next travel by feeding you with our travel write ups. Stay safe and be positive!

Food Review: Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor

If you have read our previous blog post, you would have known that we were reviewing about our stay in Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor . In this blog post, we are going to review the various food that we experienced at Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor from breakfast to dinner!

Our first dining experience at Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor was having dinner at The Grill at Cocomo. Located near the lobby, this open kitchen concept restaurant is a must-go to satisfy your western food crave. You can check out the above Instagram post for pictures of our food (and also the live cooking team)!

We have also uploaded a live video, as above, for you to have a feel of dining with your family at The Grill at Cocomo. Luckily our main course have arrived when the live video was recorded! As parents of an active toddler, we may say that it is quite a challenge to wait for food in an open kitchen concept restaurant, very stimulating for the inquisitive minds (our toddler was literally running around the area for as far as he can run). But we didn’t mind, as the food were perfect to fuel our almost-empty energy, especially the medium rare steak that Yusof had!

We had our breakfast at Ishwara Asian Brasserie & Terrace a bit late the next morning, due to our toddler refused to sleep the night before (excuses, excuses). Check out the above live video to know what they serve for breakfast, how the breakfast area looks like, and the timing they serve the breakfast!

After breakfast, we went for a lengthy swimming pool play and then fuel up our tummy at the Fusion Restaurant in Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor. We must say, it’s one of the best Japanese food we’ve tasted so far! Play the above live video to have a look around the restaurant and know what we ordered for lunch.

JenjalanKami in front of Fusion restaurant
Calm ambience inside Fusion Restaurant
Fusion Restaurant’s special menu on Saturdays: Chicken Porridge
The Chicken Porridge was tasty and approved by our toddler!
Shafa’s favourite: Sake Sashimi (Salmon)!
Unagi Maki (Rice Roll with Eel and Seaweed)
Yusof’s favourite: Tori Karage (Deep-fried Boneless Chicken)
Sake Sushi (Salmon)

The above are the pictures around the restaurant and the dishes that we tried. Our thoughts? Best Japanese dishes we’ve tasted so far! Not to mention the staff and restaurant manager were super friendly!

Dinner hours at Ishwara Asian Brasserie & Terrace

Later that night we went to Ishwara Asian Brasserie & Terrace again for a buffet steamboat. The dinner is served from 6.30pm to 10.30pm. Watch below live video for the look and feel during the dinner!

We were happy to be spoiled with many choices of food! Below are some food that were available during the buffet steamboat dinner.

We thought the next day will a bit more relaxed as we didn’t have food reviews in our original plan, since it was our check out day. But then Fusion Restaurant Manager invited us for yet another lunch to try their Teppanyaki!

Introduction & some starting actions by Chef Izam

As most of you would have known, the best part of Teppanyaki is to watch the Chef’s live cooking in preparing your food from scratch, with amazing actions! We were really looking forward into it, but we also know how active our toddler is. Thus, upon check out, Yusof was the one who took the videos & pictures of Teppanyaki from start, and Shafa came halfway through when one of the meals were ready (because at least our toddler won’t have to wait for the food and more time can be spent at the table instead of chasing him around). So Shafa basically missed the above introduction by Chef Izam.

Chef Izam in action

Too bad Shafa missed most of the actions performed by Chef Izam, such as the one shown in above video. But she’s still lucky to catch some actions, though. Watch below live video that Shafa manage to take when she arrived!

We even manage to interview Chef Izam once he’s done preparing our dishes. He is such a friendly person, indeed!

Chef Izam explaining about the ingredients
Chef Izam explaining about the Teppanyaki set

And that wraps up our food review of restaurants in Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor. We must say it was a really great experience!

Note: The visit was before the COVID-19 virus takes in. As parents of a toddler who are also living with an elderly, we do advise you to adhere to the government rules and guidelines by the Health Ministry. As a travel and food advocate, we definitely will help you to dream and plan for your next travel by feeding you with our travel and food write ups. Stay safe and be positive!

Resort Review: Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor

Hello everyone! We’ve been busy with many aspects of our life since our last travel, hence the delayed update. Shafa has been busy with homeschooling our toddler with so many development milestone to catch back then (which he has been progressing very well and even advanced at certain things)! Aside from that, she’s been busy with her freelancing jobs, which she had secured a number of clients since our last travel. Congrats to her!

JenjalanKami at Johor Premium Outlet

Anyhow, let’s quickly move to our next resort review, which is Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor. It’s been our favourite resort since Shafa’s pregnancy years. One of the staffs even remembered we had patronage the resort once before, which was cool! As usual, we will stop by at Johor Premium Outlet (JPO) before reaching the resort. JPO is located about 11 minutes from Le Granduer, which is great for shopaholics!

Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor’s lobby area

Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor is a place that we will always come back again and again. We first visited the resort back when Shafa was pregnant, and it is amazingly convenient as you don’t have to go anywhere else to have fun (sometimes pregnant woman just don’t want to go anywhere). Now that we came back here with a toddler, we find it amazing place for family with small kids! We’ll share the details of what we think of the resort for family travellers below.

During our stay, we manage to try the resort’s Deluxe Suite. Play the above video to know more about the Deluxe Suite’s view and facilities!

We also manage to snap a few pictures inside the bedroom of our suite. Check out Shafa’s Instagram post above to see all the three pictures. We think it’s a beautiful room with warm lightings!

The whole suite is spacious and comfortable for families! But you may want to keep watchful eyes on your toddler for the stairs if you have an active climber and explorer like ours. Check out the above Instagram post for the pictures around the suite!

The best is definitely the view from the suite. So green! And you can even catch airplanes passing by, as it is located about three minutes from the Senai Airport! Check out the above Instagram post to see the view from the suite’s balcony.

Walking in Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor

And now, let’s have a tour around the resort! The above staircase that you see is our scenic walk towards the sports centre. You can ask to be transported by a buggy, but we just want to walk around the area with our toddler.

Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor bowling area

The sports centre is quite big, where they have quite a number of sports to play in the centre. They even have a second swimming pool here! But as usual, we choose to play bowling. You have no idea the struggles we had to go through to complete the game with a very inquisitive toddler.

Our toddler having fun at the pool!

We visited the swimming pool next morning after breakfast. There’s nothing quite like splashing in the swimming pool with winds blowing. Just play the above video to watch how happy our toddler was! Don’t worry, Yusof is nearby our toddler, just below the shades. Our toddler refused to be under the shade with him.

And so that ends our non-food review for Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor. We totally love this resort, which made us came twice for visit! Stay tuned for the food updates for this resort in our upcoming blog post. Hint: Best food ever!

Note: The visit was before the COVID-19 virus takes in. As parents of a toddler who are also living with an elderly, we do advise you to adhere to the government rules and guidelines by the Health Ministry. As a travel advocate, we definitely will help you to dream and plan for your next travel by feeding you with our travel write ups. Stay safe and be positive!

Food Review: Christmas Eve Dinner And Christmas Hi-Tea at Dondang Sayang Coffee House, Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Oooh, it’s that favourite season of the year again! Back when we were kids, we would always be the ones who will wake up early at this time of the year to watch super cool cartoons. Now that we’re older, we know that the season also comes with cool decorations, and of course, cool food!

The beautiful Christmas tree standing tall at the lobby of Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur

When we came in to the lobby of Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur, we were greeted with a beautiful sight of an 8-feet-tall Christmas tree with blue and silver ornaments! Not only that, the hotel also decorated all other areas with Christmas decorations, which fires up the festive mood – no wonder the theme is called Magical!

View of Dondang Sayang Coffee House from the lobby of Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur

We were so excited to be able to experience the Christmas mood and menu set up by Dondang Sayang Coffee House in Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur. As you can see in picture below, the decorations were very festive – with all the beautiful reindeer lights, thoughtful Santa and cute Christmas tree in the middle of the foods.

Beautiful decorations and amazing foods available at Dondang Sayang Coffee House in Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Now, let’s look on all the food that are available for Christmas Eve Dinner and Christmas Hi Tea at Dondang Sayang Coffee House in Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur!

Steamed White Rice
Fried Flower Squids Kong Poh Dry Chilli
Oven Baked Chicken Mushroom Ragout
Braised Lamb Osso Bucco
Roast Turkey
Salmon With Orange Emulsion
Roasted Beef With Green Peppercorn Reduction
Solteq Red Cabbage
Steam Fish Fillet With Cheong Cheng Sauce
Seafood On Ice
Roasted Crispy Duck With Plum Sauce

Now, we would have uploaded more pictures, but as mentioned in previous announcement post, we are having memory space constraint in our blog. Time to upgrade our plan 😅

Dondang Sayang Coffee House is offering Christmas Eve Dinner on 24th December 2019 at RM148 nett per adult, RM70 nett per child (6 to 12 years old), and FREE for children below five-year-old. It is available from 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm, which diners can look forward to Lucky Draws, LIVE entertainment from In House Strollers and a Special appearance from Santa to liven up the spirits.

For those who would like two splurge on Hi Tea, Dondang Sayang Coffee House is offering Christmas Hi Tea from 12.30 pm to 4 pm at RM88 next per adult and RM44 next for children. Santa will have an appearance here as well – so don’t miss your chance to have a selfie with him and Santa Rina!

What’s your plan for Christmas? Any good food hunting? Would love to hear from you!

Food Review: Durian Dessert Platter At Dondang Sayang Coffee House, Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur

We are so excited during the visit, and at the time of writing this, as we are HUGE durian fans! Seriously, we are the ones who you would see coming to durian stalls during durian season, and the ones who would always voluntarily accompany Shafa’s brothers for a durian feast whenever they’re back in Malaysia.

And so, when Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur invited us for a review of their Durian Dessert Platter as part of their ‘Durian365@Corus’ promotion, we are more than happy to do so! What’s best about this promotion is that not only Corus Hotel has whole durians to serve in its durian room (yes, they have a room specially for that), the hotel also has durian desserts – all these are served permanently for 365 days a year (yup, that’s every single day of the year).

The Durian Dessert Platter is served at Dondang Sayang Coffee House in Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur daily from 12noon to 9pm. It consists of eight durian-inspired desserts and accompanied by coffee or tea, and priced at RM78 nett for two. Not bad for a durian date, isn’t it? Now, let us spill about the details of each dessert.

1. Durian Crepe

Behold Shafa’s favourite durian dessert since university years – the Durian Crepe! This dessert comes in the form of fluffy buttermilk pancakes and of course with the awesomeness taste of durian. Adding up to your sweet tooth crave is the dusted powdered sugar on top – totally makes you ask for second serving!

2. Durian BB Signature Mousse Cake

If you think mousse cake is the best dessert on earth, then you should try this Durian BB Signature Mousse Cake at Dondang Sayang Coffee House in Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur. It’s super light and made fresh daily – the perfect dessert after a day’s stress at work!

3. Rabbit Coconut Durian Mousse

This Rabbit Coconut Durian Mousse is Shafa’s favourite in terms of looks (HUGE animal lover)! The taste is also promising – with creamy coconut and durian being the most dominant flavours. A must for coconut lovers!

4. San Sebastian Durian Burnt Cheese Cake

It’s a good thing we didn’t bring our toddler for the food review, otherwise he could’ve finish this San Sebastian Durian Burnt Cheese Cake by himself! This flourless cheese cake will satisfy your dairy cravings and melt in your mouth. Totally lovable by kids and adults!

5. Durian Macaron

Any macaron lovers here? You should try this Durian Macaron at Dondang Sayang Coffee House in Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur. This sweet French dessert is burst with durian flavours – a perfect complement to the freshly brewed coffee that comes with the dessert. A taste you can’t say no to!

6. Durian Tiramisu

This Durian Tiramisu is a heavenly mix of flavours – durian and tiramisu combined! Who wouldn’t love having a dessert with mascarpone cheese, ladyfingers dipped in espresso and whipped cream as ingredients? Showered with cocoa powder on top, probably the best thing you could ever wish for during your birthday!

7. Durian Matcha Cake Roll

Speaking of birthday, guess what did Shafa received from the hotel for her birthday? You guessed right – the Durian Matcha Cake Roll! It just so happen that Shafa LOVES matcha and a huge fan of durian – she was definitely very excited! This flavourful mix gives you the aroma of matcha, with a tasty creamy durian inside. Just add a candle on top should do the trick for an unforgettable mini birthday cake, like the one you’ll see in below video. 😉

It is very thoughtful, indeed. Thank you Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur team, for making a working day birthday feels awesome!

8. Durian Tart With Italian Meringue

This Durian Tart With Italian Meringue is THE dessert for sweet tooth people! The sugar-crusted tart is filled with durian puree and topped with Italian Meringue that will instantly make you feel dreamy after the first bite. Try it yourself!

Bonus: Durian-flavoured Ice Cream

Just the perfect dessert for Malaysian weather! This Durian-flavoured Ice Cream will add delight to all guests who come by for desserts that will cool them down after walking on a hot, sunny day.

Served in ice cream cones, they are sure to bring back sweet childhood memories!

And if you need some cute backdrop for your OOTD, they’re available, too 😉

Bonus: The Durian Room

Not only you will NOT FIND the “no durian” signs in Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur, they even have their own Durian Room for the purpose of, well, eating durians!

We were briefed my Mrs. Azlinda Mohd, the Senior Marketing Manager at Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur, on the types of durians available here, as well as how they will be served.

The Durian Room at Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur draws inspiration from the more common cigar and wine tasting rooms.

It houses a permanent and fresh serving of three of the country’s most in demand durian varieties, which are the Musang King, D24 and XO.

The exclusive space will allow locals and tourists to enjoy fresh helpings of these durian varieties whenever they are staying or dining at the Hotel.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the face of a happy guest 😊

What’s your thoughts on the Durian Dessert Platter, Durian-flavoured Ice Cream and The Durian Room at Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur? We would love to hear from you!

Resort Review: Thistle Port Dickson

This is one of the resorts that holds great memories for our family. We’ve been to Thistle Port Dickson twice this year, and the high level of satisfactory feels just like the first time.

And that first time was way back when we had family gathering on Shafa’s side of family, soon after our marriage, and especially soon after Shafa’s late dad was diagnosed with Leukemia. That was way back in early January 2015. It feels bittersweet to come back, but it always hold special place in our hearts.

This is one of our many favourite things about Thistle Port Dickson. They have kids pools and adult pools, with different depths. Also they have another infinity pool – our favourite since the first time we visited this resort about four years ago!

Always our favourite infinity pool! Each time we’re at Thistle Port Dickson, we would always come by the infinity pool for some pictures, especially during sunset. It looks magical.

Back when we were just a travel couple, this was our favourite spot to swim because it’s far from the main swimming pools of the resort. It’s quite peaceful to swim here, especially since it has a nice view. Now? Practical is more important than romantic. Most of the time we’ll be at the kids swimming pool.

Such a beautiful family room here at Thistle Port Dickson!

There is one double bed & one bunk bed, enough to accommodate two adults and two children. We personally love the decorations around the bunk bed – so cute!

We never appreciate petting zoos until we became a parent.

Kids LOVE animals, especially if they can pet them. Thistle Port Dickson offers bunny petting time between 10am – 11am & 4.30pm – 5.30pm. Our toddler definitely was excited to see the rabbits and birds!

And… Our favourite spot to snap pictures! It’s been years, but this swing is still here at the beach of Thistle Port Dickson.

Somebody seems to be enjoying the game! If your boys are not up for holiday at Thistle Port Dickson, you now know where to take them.

What’s your thoughts on the resort? We would love to hear from you!